1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to aircraft cockpit displays and, more particularly, to graphical methods for displaying synoptic and flight data in conjunction with a checklist.
2. Background Information
Flying an aircraft can be a complicated task, requiring the monitoring and control of many different functions of an aircraft to determine if they are operating properly to increase the safety of a flight. Many of these functions can be checked regularly by the user to determine if the aircraft is in a proper operating mode. In addition, in the event of a failure of a system or component of an aircraft, there may be several systems or functions that should be checked or monitored to increase the safety of a flight.
A list (commonly called a checklist) is usually prepared by the manufacturer of the aircraft (or various other entities that are familiar with the operation of the particular aircraft) that contains the tasks that need to be performed or systems that need to be checked during certain phases of a flight. For example, before a flight, a pilot should check the aircraft power, battery, hydraulics, brakes, engines, fuel level, and various other equipment to determine that they are in proper working order. Checklists are also available for emergency situations. For example, in the event of a failure of one of the engines or of a pump supplying fuel to the engines, a checklist of tasks to be performed in the particular situation is typically available to the pilot of the aircraft or other crew member or user (including the co-pilot and various technicians who prepare the aircraft for flight).
These checklists may be provided on paper such that a user would read the checklist to determine which task must be performed next, complete the task, then proceed to the next task. A user may also mark the paper checklist to show that the checklist has been performed. For example, the pre-flight checklist may include a task of checking the fuel level, and once the user determines that the fuel level is adequate, the pilot marks the task as completed and performs the next task.
More recently, checklists have been provided on a computer display such that once a task has been completed, the user would mark the task completed on the display, possibly using a keyboard, a touch screen display, a track ball, or other pointing device or marking device known in the art. More recent systems have linked the computerized checklists various sensors on the aircraft, wherein the sensors automatically determine if the task is completed. For example, if one of the items on a checklist is to ensure that the doors of the pressurized cabin of the aircraft are closed, sensors on the doors determine if the doors are closed. If a door is not closed, the checklist will not allow the checklist to proceed until all the doors are closed. If all of the doors are closed when the task is selected, the checklist may automatically proceed to the next task on the checklist.
When performing the tasks on the checklist, it may be desirable for the user to have access to certain data, commonly called synoptic information, which presents a graphical overview of a particular system. For example, if the checklist requires the user to check if portions of the fuel system are operating properly, it may be desirable for the user to have access to data concerning the fuel systems. It may also be desirable to have access to other data that may be available to the pilot and the co-pilot. For example, one may have a desire to view navigation information in performing a checklist. In certain aircraft systems, access to navigation data may involve the monitoring of certain gauges. In other aircraft systems, the synoptic data and navigational information may be present in various display units present throughout the cockpit.
The presentation of data on aircraft flight displays continues to advance in sophistication, achieving increasingly higher levels of information density and, consequently, presenting a greater amount of visual information to be perceived and understood by the operator. In many applications, it is important that visual displays provide a proper cognitive mapping between what the operator is trying to achieve and the information available to accomplish the task. As a result, such systems increasingly utilize human-factor design principles in order to build instrumentation and controls that work cooperatively with human operators. Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has promulgated a number of standards and advisory circulars relating to flight instrumentation. More particularly, Title 14 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 25, Sec. 25.1321 et seq. provides guidelines for arrangement and visibility of instruments, warning lights, indicators, and the like. Similarly, detailed guidelines related to electronic displays can be found in FAA Advisory Circular 20-88A, Guidelines on the Marking of Aircraft Powerplant Instruments (September 1985).
In summary, in certain situations, including, but not limited to, emergency situations, it is desirable for the appropriate synoptic data to be displayed for each task in a checklist. It may also be desirable for such a display to occur automatically, to ease the workload of the pilot or other user. It may also be desirable for the displays to revert to the configuration present before the checklist was started, to further ease the workload of the pilot or other user. It may also be desirable for such an automated checklist system to be overridden such that the user has complete control over the displays of the aircraft. It may also be desirable to incorporate such a linkage between the checklist and the synoptic display in the context of a checklist with automatic sensing.